CHAPTER III. Don Portala's expedition-First settlement established-Father Serra at San Diego-First chapel built-Discovery of the Bay of San Francisco-Founding of missions-San Carlos the first vessel that entered the Golden Gate-Native civilization-Spain and the Franciscan fathers-Wealth of the missions-Independence of Mexico-Government of California-Manumission of the Indians -Property of the missions confiscated-Departure of the fathers DON GASPAR PORTALA, Governor of Lower California in 1769, took command of one division of the overland expedition. This was intended to proceed from Lower California, advance northward as far as practicable, plant the cross, and establish the dominion of his majesty, the King of Spain. A second division was headed by Don Fernando Riveray Moncada. Father Crespi was in this division, which was composed of soldiers, muleteers, and Indians. These had with them two hundred head of cattle, and a number of horses and mules. On the 24th of March, 1769, they started from Villacata, Lower California; and, on the 14th day of May following, arrived at San Diego, where they, on the 1st day of July, 1769, established the first white settlement and mission in what is now the State of California. In May, 1769, Governor Portala, with Father Junipero Serra and the second division of the overland expedition, left Lower California, and, after a journey of forty-six days, at the head of his expedition, arrived at San Diego on the 1st day of July, 1769. Great rejoicings and demonstrations ensued; the vessels discharged their guns, the soldiers their muskets, to celebrate the final meeting of the four divisions of this first expedition to permanently plant white settlements and establish civilization in Upper California. In a few days a mission was founded, a cross planted, a chapel built, a priest selected to preside, a patron saint named, the ground blessed and sprinkled with holy water, and every thing was made ready for the conversion of the heathen. On the 14th day of July, 1769, Governor Portala started with a new expedition from San Diego to discover the Bay of Monterey and establish a mission. Priests, soldiers, muleteers, and Indians-in all, sixtyfive-with provisions and pack-trains, set out on their northward journey. At Monterey they halted and planted a cross, but, not satisfied that it was the place of which they were in search, they proceeded still northward; and, on the 25th of October, 1769, came in sight of the sand-hills of the peninsula of San Francisco, with its beautiful bay stretching north and south a hundred miles, landlocked upon all sides save at the narrow entrance of the Golden Gate on the west. This is one of the finest harbors in the world, being surpassed only by that most beautiful sheet of water and harbor in Washington Territory, Puget sound. To Governor Gaspar De Portala, then, must be awarded the honor of the discovery of the Bay of San Francisco and not to Sir Francis Drake: he, as we know from the best authority, never saw it; neither can it be assigned to Father Junipero Serra, who, with other missionaries, remained at San Diego during Portala's journey to San Francisco. Six years elapsed, after Portala's discovery, before Serra first beheld the Bay of San Francisco. This fact is well established by the writings of Father Palou, who kept the records of the missions at this period. Nor can the honor of its discovery be awarded to Friar Juan Crispi, who accompanied Portala. Portala named the harbor, after the founder of his monastic order, (Saint Francis,) San Francisco. In about six months after Portala's discovery of the Bay of San Francisco, he and his party returned to San Diego. A mission was not founded at San Francisco for more than six years after. Father Portala having returned to Mexico, Father Junipero Serra was commissioned president of all the missions in Upper California. Under his directions, the missions at San Francisco were founded by Friars Francisco Palou and Bonito Cambou on the 9th day of October, 1776. Father Junipero Serra did not, as some have written, found the missions at San Francisco. Once only during his stay in California did he visit San Francisco; the period of his stay was short, extending from the Ist to the 10th of October, 1777. Two years previous to this, in so far as is positively known, no keel of a vessel had ever ruffled the waters of the Golden Gate. This honor was reserved for the San Carlos. This ship, in June, 1775, entered the spacious harbor and explored the bay in all directions. She had been despatched from the lower country for the purpose of exploring the Bay of San Francisco, which had been discovered by land, and also for the purpose of seeing if it could be entered by the mouth or channel which Portala declared he had discovered on his visit in 1769. The party which had founded the missions at San Francisco left Monterey (where a mission had been founded on the 3d of June, 1770) for that purpose |